Apparatus for making concrete.



No. 633,3l3. Patented Sept. I9, I899. P. c. HAINS, In. a c. n. WEAVER.APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE.

(Application filed Mar. 27, 1899.:

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

IIHI

No. 633,313. Patented Sept. l9, I899.

P. .C. HAINS, In. &. C. B. WEAVER. APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE(Application filed Mar. 27, 1899. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

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m: Noam: warns cu. mom-Una, WASHINGTON, 0 cv UNITED STATES 1 QFHCJ PETERC. IIAINS, JR., AND CHARLES R. WEAVER, OF BALTIMORE, MARY- LAND;SAID-IVEAVER'AS SIGNOR TO SAID IIAINS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,313, datedSeptember 19, 1899.

Original application filed Ju1yl8,'l;9i, $erial Nor' 6d6flil0l Dividedand this application filed March 2'7, 1899. Serial No.

710,666. on, model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PETER C. HAINS, J r., and CHARLES R. WEAVER,citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State ofMaryland,'have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatusfor Making Concrete; and we do hereby declare "the following to be afull,c1ear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate oneform in which we have contemplated embodying our invention, and the saidinvention is, fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectionalview of an apparatus for carrying onrinventionintoeffect.

Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view of the same.

'Fig. ,3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the apparatus shownin Fig. 1." Fig. i is a partial top plan View of the gravitymixingchamber. Fig.5 is a partial top planviewof the supply-receptacle.

The object of our invention is to prepare concrete, and to this end wetake measured quantities of cement, sand, stone, and water, placethem'in a suitable receptacle in such a vmanner that by discharging themtherefrom by gravity in a narrowfstreanrfrom the bottom of thereceptacle the thorough mixing of the various materials willbe effectedwithout the necessity of agitation by'handor by any mechanical means,thus greatly facilitating and expediting the preparation of concrete andat the same time securing the most thor-.

'ough and perfect mixing of the ingredients possible. v

In carrying out our invention we provide a receptacle which we term agravity-mixer, in which the solid materials necessary for the formationof concrete are placed in horizontallayers one above the other. In thedrawings, Figs. 1 and 2, we have shown a gravitymixer A, constructed,preferably, in'the form of an inverted truncated cone andxprovided lapthe other plate.

at the bottom with a discharge-aperture which is of less diamerer thanthe top of the receptacle'and which is closed by one or more doors orgates, as hereinafter described. The receptacle or .mixer A is providedwith indications,in this instance in the form of lines a, marked aroundthe interior face of its side walls to indicate the height of each layerof the materials, which are disposed in horizontal layers one above theother. We have found by experiment that the best results are obtained byplacing the dry cement in a layer at the bottom of the mixer, the sandin a layer above the cement, and the granulated or broken stone in alayer above the sand, the indicating-lines serving to indicate the depthof each. layer, and therefore the proper proportion of each ingredient.

. In the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 we have shown a pairof horizontallysliding plates B B for closing the dischargeorifice ofthe mixer, said plates or doors being each of the form shown in Fig. 2,each plate being of substantially the form of a halfcircle, with lateralextensions Z) Z), which over- Each plate Bis secured to an operating'arm b, pivoted at one end to the supports for the mixer and having itsother end adapted to slide on a horizontal bar b of said supports'andprovided with a handle If, by which it can be moved. IVhen the doors aremoved in opposite directions away from each other, a small centralopening will be formed between the extensions 12 Z; of the two plates,which can be increased in size by moving the plates farther apart untilthe entire discharge-aperture is uncovered.

. Below the mixer A we prefer to provide devices against which thematerials will strike and be separated and then thrown together again inorder to assist in commingling the materials. These devices may bevaried to a considerable degree, and We do not desire to limit ourselvesto the exact forms of such devices herein shown and described. In Figs.1 and 2 We have shown a downwardly-tapering collecting-ring C in theform of an inverted truncated cone, above which is a cone D, sup--ported therefrom by means of" suitable feet or supports d d, so that thematerial falling from the discharge-orifice of the mixer will strikeupon the cone D and be deflected outwardly and will then slide off ofsaid cone into the collecting-ring 0, thus insuring the thorough mixingof the ingredients. \Ve may in some instances dispense with thesedevices for interrupting the flow of the materials, but in general Weprefer to employ some form of devices for this purpose.

The solid materials are placed in the gravitymixer A, as hereinbeforedescribed, in horizontal layers, and the required quantity of water isthen poured into the mixer. The water will thoroughly wet the crushedstone (which is an important point in the making of concrete) and willpenetrate through the sand to the cement. As soon as the top portions ofthe cement are moistened the water will be held back from the portionsbeneath for a considerable period, so that the lower portions of thecement will remain entirely dry. The doors B B are then opened, so as toprovide a discharge-orifice of the desired diameter, and the materialwill at once begin to run through the said orifice in a narrow streamfrom the bottom of the mixer. The material above the central bottomportion will fall through the lower portions, forming a central passage,through which the material will continue to run until the mixer isentirely emptied. It will thus. be seen that the portions of cement,sand, stone, and water will be continually mixed and mingled as thematerial passes from the mixer and falling upon the cone 0 andcollecting-ringD will be perfectly mixed together. From thecollecting-ring the concrete ready for use will be delivered to a car orinto a suitable receptacle, as desired.

We prefer in opening the doors B B to separate them at first, so as toprovide a comparatively small! aperture, and to gradually increase thesize of the aperture by further separating the doors as the operationproceeds until the entire discharge-aperture is uncovered before themixer is emptied. We may, however, simply uncover the entire aperture atonce by throwing the doors widely apart at the outset, if preferred, andobtain good results.

In Figs. 3, 4-, and 5 we show a device for making the concrete inpractically a continuous operation, which is desirable when the materialis to be furnished with great rapidity and in very large quantities. Inthese figures, E represents asupply-tank,whieh is provided with suitablecompartments for storing stone, sand, and cement, each compartment beingprovided with separate discharge-orifice closed by a cut-off plate ordoor e, provided with an operating-lever e, by which it is controlled.The supply-receptacle is shown as supported by a suitable framework E E.lVe may, however, employ a series of sep arate supply-receptaclesinstead of a single receptacle provided with compartments, as

will be perfectly obvious. Beneath the receptacle E is a gravity-mixer Fof the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that in this instance we haveshown the discharge-orifice of the mixer provided with a pair ofdownwardlyswinging hinged semicircular doors or gates ff, which are heldin closed position by a closing-bar f, pivoted to the framework andprovided with a handlef (See Figs. 3 and 4.) Beneath thedischarge-orifice of the mixer F is an interrupting-cone G, in thisinstance supported by rods 9 g from the mixer, upon which the materialfalls as it leaves the mixer, and below the cone G is a collectingchamber or receptacle H of substantially the size and shape of the mixerF. The collecting-chamber H is provided with a deliveryorifice, alsoclosed by a pair of hinged gates or doors h h, similar to the gates f fand held in position by the bar It, havinga handle 71?. Below thereceptacle H is a storage-tank K, provided with a discharge-orifice anda closing gate or gates 70, controlled by ahand-lever having a handle70*, and a cone I is also interposed between the receptacle H and tankK. From the storage-tank K the concrete is delivered to one or more carsL, by which it is conveyed to the points where it is to be used. In Fig.3 we have shown one collecting-receptacle interposed between thegravity-mixer and the storage-tank and two interrupting-cones, so thatthe material is agitated and collected twice before reaching thestorage-tank. It is obvious that we might use a greater number ofcollecting-receptacles and cones, if desired or found necessary. We havealso shown interrupting devices between the storage-tank K and the carL, consisting of a series of horizontally-disposed pieces of angle-ironM M, with their angular edges uppermost, and a second series N N placedat right angles to the first. This form of interrupting devices givesgood results, and we may employ it in-- stead of the cone 0 andcollecting device IIO D shown in Fig. 1 or the cones shown in Fig.

3, or in addition thereto, if found desirable.

In the use of the form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5,the materials will be drawn from the supply tank or receptacle one at atime and delivered in layers in the mixer, after which the water isadded and the material discharged in a narrow stream in a mixedcondition from the bottom of the mixer, as previously described. As soonas the mixer is emptied it can be filled with another charge, while theconcrete already formed can be passed to the storage-tank and deliveredto the cars or otherwise used. As soon as the material is removed fromthe collecting-receptacle H to the storage-tank the next charge from themixer can be run into the collecting-receptacle and the mixer againfilled. Bythis meansa practically continuous operation is carried on andthe concrete can be made with great rapidity and in large quantities.

\Ve do not claim herein the process of making concrete which isdisclosed in this application, said process being described and claimedin our application for Letters Patent of the United States filed July18, 1898, Serial No. 686,280, of which this application is a division.

What we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for making concrete, the combination with themixing-receptacle provided with a discharge-aperture of reduced diameterat the bottom, closing devices for said aperture, and interruptingdevices below said aperture for deflecting the material laterally tofacilitate the mixing of the materials, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for making concrete, the combination with themixing-receptacle, provided with a discharge-aperture at the bottomadjustable closing means forsaid aperture, interrupting devices belowthe aperture for deflecting the material laterally, and a collectingdevice below said interrupting device, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for making concrete, the combination with themixing-receptacle provided with a discharge-aperture in its bottom,adjustable closing devices for said aperture, an interrupting andspreading cone a collecting device below said co'ne, substan tially asdescribed.

4. In an apparatus for making concrete, the combination with themixing-receptacle, provided with a discharge-aperture in its bottom, ofa closing device for said aperture, a supply receptacle provided withseparate compartments for the several materials and adapted todeliver'the materials to said mixing-chamber, a separate closing devicefor each compartment, an interrupting device below saiddischarge-aperture of the mixer, a collecting-receptacle below saidinterrupt= ing device, a storage-tank below said collecting-receptacle,provided with a discharge aperture, and a closing device for saidaperture, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa= tures in the presence of twowitnesses.

PETER o. HAINS, JR. ouARLEs R. WEAVER.

Witnesses as to signature of Peter C, Hains, Jr.:

J. STACY BROWN, FRED E. WILLIAMS. H VVitnesseS asto signature of CharlesR. Weaver:

ARTHUR H. HIEA'IZMAN, GEORGE YAKEL.

